ASHBURN — After selecting TCU wide receiver Josh Doctson with the 22nd pick of the NFL draft on Thursday, the Washington Redskins chose to address the defense on the second day.
The Redskins drafted USC hybrid outside linebacker and safety Su’a Cravens with the 22nd pick in the second round, 53rd overall, and drafted Virginia Tech defensive back Kendall Fuller with the 21st pick in the third round, 84th overall.
When Joe Barry was the linebackers coach at USC in 2010, he helped recruit Cravens, then a star at Vista Murrieta High School, to the Trojans. Barry departed for the San Diego Chargers before Cravens got to USC, but now he’ll finally have a chance to coach him. Cravens, who declared for the draft after his junior season with the Trojans, recorded 207 tackles, nine interceptions and 16 pass deflections.
“Me and [Barry] built a relationship before he had left, knows my family inside and out,” Cravens said. “I got a real good feel from him when I met with Washington at the combine.”
Cravens’ meeting with the Redskins at the combine was the only contact he had with them until Barry, who was headed for vacation, cancelled his plans and attended USC’s pro day on March 23. At the NFL scouting combine, Craven said roughly half of his conversations with teams were about playing linebacker while the other half pertained to playing safety. He said not too many teams talked to him about playing linebacker in dime packages, which is where he said the Redskins have asked him to play.
“There’s not a lot of things he can’t do,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “He’s a playmaker and when you’re talking about defensive football nowadays, you want to get people who can do multiple things and be versatile in what they do and figure out ways to get the ball back to your offense. He’s got position flex. He’s a ball hawk. He’s a turnover machine and he’s a great player. He can be effective on special teams obviously, play in the box at linebacker. There’s a thought he might be able to play some safety, but once we get him in the building we’ll figure out a way to get him on the field.”
Cravens, who stands at 6 feet and 226 pounds, said he played the “Sam” linebacker in the Trojans’ 3-4 scheme. Considering how often teams are in nickel and dime defense packages, Craven’s versatility could be a strong asset to the Redskins’ defense. He didn’t hesitate to compare himself to Arizona Cardinals defender Deone Bucannon, who plays a very similar hybrid role. Bucannon is 6-1, 211 pounds.
“He plays a lot bigger than he is,” Cravens said of Bucannon. “He makes plays in open space and is physical when it comes to the point of attack.”
The Los Angeles native comes from a family with an extensive athletic background. His brother, Siaki, was a defensive lineman at Utah from 2010-12. His sister, Malia, played basketball at Hawaii, transferred to USC and then later ditched basketball for track and field. His younger brother, Savai’i, received a scholarship to Alabama to play wide receiver in April. Cravens also has a younger sister he said is the best athlete in the family.
Fuller, who was projected to be a first-round pick entering his junior season with the Hokies, tore his right meniscus and played in just three games before having season-ending surgery. After declaring for the NFL draft in December, Fuller attended the combine in February and said he was at “90 percent,” but did not participate in any physical drills.
After he was selected, Fuller said his knee felt “really good” and that he hasn’t been limited in any physical drills. However, Gruden said that it’s likely the cornerback will miss rookie minicamp, which takes place from May 13-15. The worst-case scenario, Gruden said, is that Fuller will be out until training camp, though there is a chance he returns for organized team activities at the end of May and early June.
“A lot went into that,” Gruden said. “We feel good about his progression from his injury. He’s too talented of a player to pass up. He can play nickel, obviously, which is a big hook for him. He can play outside. He’s got great natural football instincts at the nickel or corner position. Obviously you got great bloodlines, and I think it’s a great pick.”
Like Cravens, Fuller also comes from an athletic family rich with NFL pedigree. The 21-year-old Baltimore native, who attended Good Counsel High School, is the fourth Fuller brother to be drafted. Kyle, 24, is a cornerback and was drafted by the Chicago Bears No. 14 overall in 2014. Corey, 25, is a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions and was drafted in the sixth round in 2013. Vinny, 33, is a former safety and played for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted in the fourth round in 2005.
“It was definitely an advantage, being able to learn from their experiences, their past and just soaking up that knowledge and really kind of being able to understand the game fully,” Fuller said of his brothers. “We’re guys that we don’t talk a lot, but we work through our actions. We’re never going to let anyone outwork us and we’re going to try to be the hardest-working guys on the field.”
The final four rounds of the draft will take place on Saturday. The Redskins select 22nd in the fourth round (120th overall), 21st in the fifth round (158th overall), 12th in the sixth round (187th overall) and 11th (232nd overall) and 21st (242nd) in the seventh round.
• Anthony Gulizia can be reached at agulizia@washingtontimes.com.
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